Durham

Hi. I have just been told that my passport has gone for examination in front of an examiner today but not sure how long it takes from going into examination to being approved? does anyone have any idea on timeframes? we had documents received 2nd September and went into processing on 3rd September. Due to fly on 13th October so really stressed!!!

Hi there, Panicking now Docs received 13th September traveling to wedding in Turkey on the 7th October!!! Do the passport offices in Durham work on Saturday and Sunday ? 😫😫😫

Hi Elaine, The Durham passport office works through the weekend in processing and printing passports.

Hi Suzi, Thank you I’m up pole with worry . Jet 2 will not allow me to move the holiday feel sick x

I submitted my application on 8th September. They received my passport on 15th September (even though I did next day tracked delivery). It stayed like this for 3 weeks and I was getting very worried as I'm going away in 2 weeks time, I called up today and they added a note to my application saying I was going away for work and then 2 hours later I had an update saying my application was approved! I don't know if it was a coincidence but it's worth calling up if you are getting very stressed about it like me!

Looking for someone on a similar timeline… Application made 10 Sep 21 Documents received (as per Royal Mail tracking) 13 Sep Email from passport office to say documents received 18 Sep 21 I called today and my application hasn’t yet been picked up. I am travelling on 23 Oct and and really really (really!) worries that my passport isn’t going to be here in time. Called and was told there wasn’t anything I could do (I would happily pay for online premium / same day) but that’s not an option as there is no way they can tell me when my docs could be returned by. Does adding the travel date really work? I read that it’s just something they do to get you off the phone and the person I spoke with didn’t say that was an option. Am going to call back tomorrow and add….sorry for the long post - any help / advice would be very much appreciated!

Did yours arrive Sam?

Mlcroft1010 - we are exactly the same time line as you Not heard anything! We travel before your date - it’s a child renewal.... I’ve called several times....one lady was really helpful, but she told me that ‘adding a travel date/note’ doesn’t help - ‘it’s used to get people off the phone’.....not sure what I believe.....but not expecting to get ours back in time now.....

I'm renewing my old passport at the Durham office. My previous passport was a child one so this is going to be my first adult passport. it has been stuck on documents received for a while now is that normal? and does the passport renewal process start when it says documents received. Documents received 12:15pm on 20 September 2021 Application received 7:28pm on 13 September 2021 Application submitted 7:28pm on 13 September 2021

My application is at Durham I hoping to hear it’s approved in the next few weeks hopefully it’s very frustrating some people very quick some not I had to change my flights 2 times already hope I don’t have to change flight on November 8

I spoke to PO today.....lady ‘thinks’ they’ll be done in time....apparently ‘when you get message that ‘documents received’ this means that it’s been sent to examiner....she then told me it’s currently a 20 day wait in that queue..... But she can’t guarantee- so no further forward really..... Still an anxious wait.....

I now have my child renewal back from Durham: Application submitted 05/09/2021 Documents received 11/09/2021 Approved 01/10/2021 Delivered 06/10/2021 Thing I have learnt from obsessive Twitter stalking which might help: 1. Passports are approved roughly in order of when the tracker says your docs are received (not necessarily when actually received) 2. If you call and ask they will note your travel date on the application, then the examiner might be kind enough to speed it through to the printing stage. Use these phone numbers to cut out the recorded messages and not be put in the queue for a call back 01633 285422 / 0300 123 1973. 3. Often the tracker goes straight from docs received to approved with no in between stage, these are generally processed on the new system and is currently averaging 21 day from docs received to approved 4. If you have an extra step on the tracker 'application processing' these seem to take about a week longer to approve and apparently are on the old system. 5. If you are really cutting it fine you can rearrange the TNT delivery once it appears on the tracker to a day earlier, I didn't need to do this but have seen others doing this successfully. 6. I found this website and also the twitter account for passport waiting and HMPO really useful as in the comments you can guage which date of documents received the different offices are up to. I was able to predict the day mine would be approved and was correct! Good luck everyone :-)

Samholls11- Thanks for this; I’m exactly 1 week behind you. Glad you got yours! So by this.....mine should be approved today or tomorrow? If so, that’s one worry over; then i’ll just waiting on another renewal passport from Liverpool! Keeping everything crossed

My passport was approved this morning! Applied - 10 Sep Documents received - 18 Sep Approved 20 days after documents received which is in line with most people’s experience! Will post when it arrives..

Approved today as well! Documents Received - 18th September Approved - 8th October Hoping won’t be too long to get the passport in my hand!

Due to fly on the 23rd October. Rang this morning and got through to the processing team and told it's in the queue to be examined. That was the only info they could provide. Too late to cancel and go fast track! Documents received 3:45pm on 17 September 2021 Application received 9:33pm on 9 September 2021 Identity details received 9:32pm on 9 September 2021 Email sent to person confirming your identity 5:40pm on 8 September 2021 Ask someone to confirm your identity 5:39pm on 8 September 2021 Application submitted 5:39pm on 8 September 2021 Likelihood of receiving in the post before the 23rd October?

From what i've been reading on twitter recently, you should be ok (touch wood)... 20/21 days from docs received to approval seems to be typical time line at the moment. I'm travelling on 25th oct but passport office are saying they only got docs received on 30 Aug... so very tight... but still hopefull

Thanks Dang, We're now on day 24. Just had an update to say "application being processed". DOn't know whether to take this as a good sign or not as there are a few timelines with weeks between application being processed and application approved. Application being processed 3:10pm on 11 October 2021 Documents received 3:45pm on 17 September 2021 Application received 9:33pm on 9 September 2021 Identity details received 9:32pm on 9 September 2021 Email sent to person confirming your identity 5:40pm on 8 September 2021 Ask someone to confirm your identity 5:39pm on 8 September 2021 Application submitted 5:39pm on 8 September 2021

I have our child renewals back! Submitted 8th September Identity Checked 10th September Documents received 18th September Approved 8th October Delivered 11th October - today Woohoo......thank goodness; won’t be cutting it this fine again! Hope everyone gets sorted - this site has been invaluable! Definitely think that ringing the number given to me the other day helped.....lady in the phone was lovely as well

I am currently waiting for my husband and sons passport renewals which we need back for the 28th October. My sons passport was sent to Durham and my husbands Peterborough, both the details are Documents received 2 October 2021 Application received 24 September 2021 I have just called the passport office and they’ve told me that my sons is in a digital queue and could be printed any time and my husbands will be looked at by an assessor on the 23rd October just keeping everything crossed that they come in time!!

I sent in my passport from the USA. Documents were received in the passport office Durham on 13th September but only entered as received on 18th September 2021. Documents received 18 September 2021 Application received 10 September 2021 Called the passport office today and was told that overseas applications are taking upto 11 weeks. Waiting game......

What number did you call on please, i'm not getting through to anyone helpful, and we are due to fly on 23rd!

Hi, I am roughly on par with everyone else’s timelines here for my child’s renewal passport. Which number is everyone calling to actually speak with someone at the Durham office? I can’t seem to get past the robot stage of the repeated message saying there too busy to answer the call and I get cut off! Very frustrating. Any help in the numbers would be greatly appreciated.

Can anyone share the number they are managing to talk with someone on. TIA

The number I call now is 0300 123 1973 as they put you on hold rather than hang up and tell you it’s too busy